Former President Donald Trump is again turning heads with comments about abortion and IVF procedures.
Following a rally in Potterville, Michigan, NBC News asked Trump about his thoughts on IVF. Trump responded by saying that if he were elected, he would look to have the treatment paid for by the government or insurance companies.
This comes as Democrats accuse Trump of trying to get rid of IVF. A recent statement from the Harris campaign claims that “Trump’s own platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion nationwide.” Harris further claimed that “IVF is already under attack” in the nation due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Ironically, such an accusation not only flies in the face of Trump’s comment but is also contradictory to the Republican Party’s 2024 Platform. According to the platform:
We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights. After 51 years, because of us, that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People. We will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF.
Trump has actively sought to cement his image as a supporter of the fertility treatment. This especially became apparent after Alabama ruled that frozen embryos used in the treatment were legally considered children.
It should be noted that IVF was not prohibited in the state after this ruling – but it meant that the process would have to be adjusted. Trump still called out the ruling and asked lawmakers to find a workaround.
But his position on IVF wasn’t the only talking point from that interview to garner attention. When asked about abortion in his home state of Florida, Trump shockingly said that he would vote for something “more than six weeks.”
This was quickly interpreted as Trump saying he wanted abortion up until birth in the state. But his campaign later clarified that the former president “has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short.”
Still, some in the pro-life camp were disappointed to hear that the Republican candidate wanted to extend any abortion timing. The fact that this also comes after Trump said that his administration would be “great for women and their reproductive rights” has many worried that he is trying to play both sides of the issue.